Public service: Working for the County and serving your community

Public service is everything the name implies – it’s not just a job. Let me tell you a little bit about my own experience in public service, and you can decide if it might be right for you.

Longer ago than I like to admit, I graduated from Dacula High School and went on to the University of Georgia where I earned a degree in accounting. I took a job in state government to get started but soon changed jobs to be closer to home. I went to work for Gwinnett County government.

At the time, I thought I would end up working at one of the big CPA firms but instead I found I enjoyed serving local people and the county that had always been my home. Many decades later, I’m still here.

For many of those years, I was a finance employee, preparing budgets and analyzing numbers while the county grew at one of the fastest rates in the United States. Keeping up with the growth was a major challenge for county leaders and so was figuring out how to pay for the necessary infrastructure and services. In 2004, I retired as County Administrator. In 2011, I ran for election as Chairman of the Board of Commissioners. I love this county and knew
I could provide the leadership it needed.

If youor others you knoware starting a new career or looking to make a change, please consider a career in public service. Gwinnett County government has about five thousand positions to keep filled and needs a wide variety of skills and talents for various roles. We have a great team of dedicated professionals who provide high quality services to all Gwinnett residents.

In the fall we hosted our first-ever Career Expo for job seekers looking to begin a career with Gwinnett County government. The expo gave people an opportunity to meet face-to-face with representatives from many county departments and learn about job opportunities in many fields: information technology, accounting, finance, administrative/clerical, protective services like police, fire, sheriff and corrections, engineering, project management, and technical and field services.

Gwinnett’s government jobs are posted online at gwinnettcountyjobs.com along with information on each position and how to apply. You can also check us out by volunteering on a regular basis or helping out at a single event.

We post our volunteer opportunities online at volunteergwinnett.net.

Serving the public is, and ought to be, a noble occupation, whether as an employee or as an elected official. It’s something that is deeply satisfying to many people. My experience is just one example.

So I urge you to consider giving back to your community in some wayby volunteering, by running for office, or by applying for a job with Gwinnett County government. You might just find your calling.